Church Members Counting Blessings

First Baptist Looks To Rebuild After Fire

October 3, 1998|By JANET H. CHO Staff Writer

NORTH LAUDERDALE — Their sanctuary is scorched, their Bibles are charred and their pews are overflowing with rubble and ash, but members of First Baptist Church of North Lauderdale will still gather for worship services Sunday morning.

They will crowd into the fellowship hall behind the burned-out geodesic dome and thank God for three blessings: That nobody was hurt, that we do have insurance, and that it wasn't arson," said Deacon Floyd Glass, a 35-year member from unincorporated Fort Lauderdale.

We've had our days of weeping, and now it's time to move on," said Pastor George T. Smith of North Lauderdale, who has been with the church since 1985.

Tuesday's fire, ignited by an electrical problem in the domed ceiling, gutted the $500,000 church's interior.

Flames melted the plastic glass windows in the skylights, peeled strips of insulation from the roof and left everything covered in thick black soot.

The acrid odor of smoke still lingers in the air.

Everything that didn't burn is so smoke-damaged that it's not usable," Smith said.

The ethnically diverse English-speaking congregation of 125 will worship at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, followed by the Spanish-speaking Iglesia Bautista Misionera congregation at 11 a.m., at 6177 Kimberly Blvd.

Sunday school is at 8:45 a.m., with evening service, youth group and children's ministry at 6 p.m.

"We'll sing songs we all know, because our song books are gone," Glass said.

Other churches have offered their sanctuaries, but First Baptist leaders say they plan to stay in their own fellowship hall.

We feel it's better to keep our people together than have them scatter and start losing them. We just want to keep the family in one area," Glass said.

Church officials have no idea how much the sanctuary will cost to rebuild, or how they will repay the $350,000 mortgage, said Pastor-Elect Ronny Bramos of Coconut Creek.

They must tear down the ravaged structure, construct a new building, and replace the pews, drums, computers, copier, television and sound system.

Strangers have donated more than $1,200 toward a new church, including $400 from an on-air auction by WAYF-FM 88.1, a Christian radio station in West Palm Beach.

Taylor, WAYF-FM morning co-host and promotions director, said, We asked Bramos] how things were going, and he said, `God's got a reason for this, and we're ready for the challenge.'"

Donations to the church rebuilding fund can be sent to: First Baptist Church of North Lauderdale, 6177 Kimberly Blvd., North Lauderdale, FL 33068.